Blurred
by Lynn DiNozzo
Summary: "When people are undercover together, sometimes lines are blurred." Ziva goes undercover in a strip joint to try and lure a rapist to her with Tony waiting outside if anything goes wrong. - Even though Tony would just be her backup in the car outside, he had to be on his A-game, ready to be able to get Ziva out in just a few seconds without blowing her cover.
1. Chapter 1

"Would you quit looking at me like that?" Ziva scowled to Tony who was reclining at his desk, watching her adjust the outfit that she was wearing for an undercover op that was being pushed into motion tonight.

"Sorry Zee-vah," he smiled, emphasizing her name. "I can't really help it. Have you actually seen what you're wearing?"

Fiddling with her collar then fixing her wavy hair, she shook her head. "I suppose I hadn't really noticed," she sighed, running a hand across her bare stomach before really taking in what she had on.

Her shirt was a light blue soft denim top which was off the shoulder with the sleeves stopping right above her elbow and the corners of the bottom were tied loosely right underneath her bust. Her bottom half was barely covered with extremely short jean shorts along with a pair of light brown cowboy boots.

As Tony watched Ziva survey herself, he shook his head while trying to keep a solid gaze on her eyes even though it was nearly impossible with her shirt revealing more than he'd seen since the last undercover op together. "Well, am I right?" he asked with a bit of a joking tone in his voice, trying to keep the situation as light as he could.

"Yes," she nodded honestly. "You are." She walked over to Tony's desk and sat on the side of it, thinking intently on what she was about to do tonight. "I guess there isn't anything I can do about going undercover in a strip joint."

"Gentleman's club," Tony quickly corrected.

"Same difference," she said, patting his hand before sitting back down at her own desk then putting her feet up on it, mimicking Tony's usual and current behavior. For the next few minutes they both sat in silence, mentally preparing themselves for the fast approaching op.

Even though Tony would just be her backup in the car outside, he had to be on his A-game, ready to be able to get Ziva out in just a few seconds without blowing her cover. The partners weren't usually this anxious about an op, rather fairly excited for a change from their usual cases, but this one was different.

Two weeks ago the fourth waitress was raped and killed by Col. James Hawkins at a gentleman's club in Anacostia, but they didn't have enough evidence to prove it. Completely disgusted from this and wanting to do her part to try and get some justice for the victims, Ziva volunteered to go in and try to lure him to her. Tony was immediately against the whole idea, knowing this man was a heartless assaulter and killer.

Even though he knew she could take care of herself, he was still worried—had a gut feeling—but he knew he just had to be right there for his partner if she needed him—to do what they had both always done for each other.

With so many thoughts floating rapidly around her mind, Ziva tried desperately to focus on the good that would come of this op. _"Just think of what this will mean for the girls' families. What kind of closure this will give them once he's caught."_ But right when she thought she was satisfied from the answers she was giving herself, another haunting thought would creep into her mind. _"What if Tony isn't fast enough and I'm not able to defend myself? What if he actually succeeds in…"_ There her mind trailed off, not willing to accept the fact that something in her and Tony's plan could go dangerously wrong, something that would put her in an extremely compromising situation. She knew all she could do for her sanity at this point was to keep reaffirming her faith in Tony being right there when she needed him the most.

Ziva peeked her head out from behind her monitor and looked at Tony, shooting him a soft smile. In that moment of shared glances and smiles, she was then sure everything was going to be okay because she would be in Tony's hands and that's what made all the difference.

Breaking them from their taunting thoughts, Gibbs came off the elevator, followed by McGee who was carrying the surveillance gear for Tony and Ziva that they had just picked up from Abby's lab. "Are you two ready?" Gibbs asked in his normal gruff tone as he set a cup of coffee on his desk.

"Yes," the two said in unison.

Before the partners headed to the elevator, Gibbs handed Ziva a bottle of water and stood directly in front of her, placing his hands protectively on her shoulders, seeing right through her brave face. "Make sure you drink this before you head out. You never know what could go on there. It's just a good precaution to have it in you— to stay hydrated.

A grave expression swept across her face but vanished quickly as she put on a slight smile and resumed her strong, brave face. "I'll be fine, I can take care of myself," she assured him, taking a few sips.

Tony looked up from his work and put his eyes to Gibbs then back on Ziva. "Do you really think it's going to get that dangerous?" he asked worriedly.

He knew Ziva had been through hell and back more times than he wanted to remember and even knew, so the last thing he wanted to see was a repeat of that pain. When they had first become partners and after the loss of Kate, Tony had promised himself that he would never let anything bad happen to Ziva, even if his own life depended on it. As the years went by, it became less and less of a job, but more of a way of life— something that came naturally. It was just the thing to do.

Now that they had been partners for eight years, he thought the best of Ziva, he admired her, and most of all, he cared for her. Out of all the time he had worked for NCIS, he couldn't remember more than a handful of sex crimes that their team was assigned to and he never liked working them. There was just something about that innocence that was taken away so abruptly he could never just numb himself to.

Each case he experienced like that ended up being just another nightmare, never something some would call a "learning experience." Though he had his fair share of cases like those, they never once involved putting the life of a team member in jeopardy and he was not up to seeing it happen now—especially to Ziva.

He had begged and begged his boss to let him go into the club as a bartender at least, so he would have a visual on her at all times, but Gibbs declined his request, saying it would mount suspicion even higher if two new people wanted jobs in the time frame of just a few days.

All he could do now was hope and pray that everything went well, along with relying on all of his training to get in there and think of a way to get her out carefully and promptly.

"Yes, it very well could," Gibbs said, being completely honest. "But Ziver is right. She can take care of herself."

"And I'll be no more than ten seconds away if she needs me," Tony piped up encouragingly.

With a nod of his head, Gibbs patted Ziva's shoulder then checked his watch. "Alright, it's midnight and Blossom here," he smiled, gesturing towards Ziva, "starts her shift at one and all of the assaults had a fairly tight schedule of happening around 2:30 so you probably have enough time to get in there and be noticed."

"Boss, this is Ziva we're talking about," Tony said seriously, but still winking at her before continuing to pack his and Ziva's supplies.

"DiNozzo has a point," Gibbs breathed. "Ziva," he said, turning his eyes back to hers, "you have a much higher chance of being noticed quicker...uh."

For the first time in all the time the agents had worked with Gibbs, they'd never once heard him stutter.

"What Boss is trying to say is you're a hundred times prettier than the other bar maids and you will stand out from all the others," Tony said quickly, not thinking about what he was saying. When he finally realized what had come out of his mouth, Tony reddened then looked to Ziva, who was blushing herself, with apology in his eyes if he had embarrassed her.

A few moments later, she smiled. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Gibbs turned towards her once more to offer her one more bit of advice. "Ziver, be sure to stay on your toes. I know you always are," he added quickly seeing the brief wave of conflict in her eyes. "Just keep alert more than ever. We don't know how this guy works and with four murders already and with no trace evidence, he is good at what he does."

Smiling knowingly she let out a deep breath and scratched her collarbone. "I'll be fine. Tony will have my back," she said confidently, with complete faith in her partner.

"I believe he will," Gibbs said, sitting down at his desk flashing a glance to Tony, telling him just through his steely blue gaze to take care of their girl.

Picking up all the gear they would need, the partners were headed out.

* * *

"Ouch!" Ziva exclaimed as Tony accidentally hurt her as he was helping put in her ear piece.

Tony grimaced himself, pulling his hands gently away from her and settling back behind the steering wheel, giving her the chance to finish adjusting the hearing device to her liking. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yes," she nodded encouragingly towards him as she rubbed her irritated ear then began to put in light blue feather earrings that graced her neck, intertwining with her waves. "Well," she smiled, once she was finished. "What's the plan?"

Looking towards the small, rundown, sorry excuse for a 'gentleman's club' across the street, Tony looked intently to his partner, unknowingly allowing worry to creep back into his eyes, knowing quite well what this man they were up against was capable of. "What we always do," he said finally. "Go in, get the job done, get the bad guy—or the occasional woman—out, and last but certainly not least," he smiled, nudging her shoulder, "get ourselves out."

Nodding and patting him on the shoulder in thanks, she pulled the mirror down, checking her cheap makeup as well as combing through her hair with her fingers, a telltale sign that she was nervous.

Tony shook his head, knowing they were both nervous for this op but she wouldn't dare admit it. After watching her for a few more moments, he gently took one of her hands she was working through her hair. "Ziva," he said, getting her attention as he was still softly holding her hand in his. "You look beautiful—even with the smudgy blue eye shadow. And," Tony said, returning her sparkling gaze, "you are going to do just fine. Actually," he said after pausing for a moment, "you'll do better than fine," he said affirmatively.

"Thank you, Tony. But why do you have so much faith that I will do well?" Ziva asked, doubting herself.

"Because you are Ziva David and you are my Ninja."

* * *

_A/N: This story will have a few more chapters and it shouldn't be too long before they are uploaded. Not more than a week or so :) Thank you for reading and please review below and tell me what you thought and if you have any ideas for where you'd personally like to see it go! ~Lynn D._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Since this was her first day on the job, Ziva, or rather Blossom, entered through the back that led into the dingy combined break room and office. Usually the girls would go right through the front where the VIP lounge was so the higher paying men would get first dibs on the women, but before Ziva was allowed to mimic the more experienced girls, she had to be shown the ropes. She needed to learn which rooms to go in and which ones to avoid, as well as which drinks to serve certain people and others to not.

Just when she thought the tour was over, the manager, Chuck Gordon, who was a short, gruff little man, led her to a small room nearly hidden under the stairs that led to another lounge.

The man put his hand on the doorknob and looked warily at Ziva, not quite trusting her yet. "This room is for one purpose and one purpose only. It is to accommodate our highest paying customers, a very short list of men that come here and expect to have the best experience they could imagine. You will not be asked to do anything you do not want to, but it could, and with your looks, most likely will be brought up. Do you understand what I'm getting at?" he asked, nearly having to look up to her.

Knowing good and well what would go on once inside that room, Ziva nodded then put her hands on her hips, seeming to be bored with the whole thing. She didn't want to show interest in any particular area of the building or appear too nosy for fear of the manager catching on to why she was really there. She needed to gain the man's trust as quickly as she could.

Letting out a confused sigh, the man shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to push the thought any longer when she should be getting to work. Opening the door, he let Ziva in first then shut the door behind them. As she walked in, she looked around the room that was no bigger than the team's bullpen. With a mini-bar in the left corner and a fully made, full sized bed in the other, Ziva was sure this was the creepiest room in the club, but it was certainly the nicest.

Without uttering a word quite yet, she made a short circle around the room, taking in everything. "The earthy green paint really plays off the maroon curtains over the bed," she commented, revealing to Tony there was a window in the otherwise isolated room.

_"How long have you been sitting on that one, Tinkerbell?"_ Tony smiled into the intercom even though he knew Ziva couldn't see him.

She just rolled her eyes and quietly hissed at him, knowing she'd get back at him later.

Cocking his head to the side, the manager looked to Ziva, hoping to get some information on her personal life. "You an interior designer?"

"Wanted to be. Had to drop out of college when I lost my job and couldn't pay the tuition anymore. That's why I applied for the job here. It pays good," Ziva explained cryptically, going against all the English she had struggled to learn.

"Your parents couldn't help you out?"

"I had enough of authority when I was nineteen. Hooked up with my boyfriend and we were out of there."

"Are you still with him?"

"On and off. We aren't the jealous type." She smiled to herself, already seeing Tony shaking his head in amusement, sure he was enjoying this.

A queer smirk spread across the man's face which sent a shiver down Ziva's spine; worried her instincts were right—that the Colonel wasn't the only person she would have to watch out for.

Chuck led them back to the main bar in the midst of the parties that were just getting started in the extremely smoky, stifling, and strident atmosphere.

As she walked by the men, mostly all drunk by now, she received far too many whistles for Tony to not snicker and comment on how he was right in telling Gibbs it wouldn't take long for her to be noticed.

After Ziva had proved to the manager she could handle the bar by making usual drinks, and surprising him with a few specialty beverages, she was sent off to the upstairs lounge to serve their ordered champagne.

Not surprisingly, she was not only glanced at by men all around, but she already had three keeping an intent eye on her. With two of them being especially big, husky guys, she tried to keep her distance but still a friendly smile; not wanting to provoke anger on top of their already drunken state. Unfortunately, none of them were the Colonel and she hadn't been able to get a good look at everyone in the downstairs VIP lounge where she assumed he would be.

* * *

After Ziva had handed everyone their drinks in the lounge and turned to go back downstairs, she felt someone grab her forearm and nearly went into assassin mode, but remembered that she was undercover and held her smiling face without letting her reflexes take over.

When she went silent and all Tony could hear was a man's voice, he got nervous, wondering if it was the Colonel.

"Hey sweetheart," the tall, dark man smiled charmingly.

"Hello," Ziva said seductively, putting on a smile.

"How about a few drinks on me?"

"I'm on the job, no drinking is allowed," she said, pretending to be heartbroken. She had been told to "put on a show" for the men that were charming but not good enough tippers. "Maybe when I'm off duty?" Ziva smiled sweetly.

He surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning in for a kiss, but she pulled back just in time. Before he erupted in anger, about to go down to the manager to say his girls weren't cooperating with his paying customers, she just smiled and said, "I don't kiss clients. It's too intimate," she said simply.

The man released her to go back downstairs, then nodded. "Pretty Woman. I understand."

Once she was out of earshot of everyone that would mind to hear, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Tony, I will never, ever complain about your movie references again. They just saved me from kissing that John."

DiNozzo swelled with pride as he listened to his Ninja not only get a movie reference right, but also an idiom correct. She was actually learning something from his remarks over all these years and what shocked him even more was that she really listened to him.

Another hour went by with Ziva just trying to get to the other side of the club, being stopped every few steps by another guy wanting to buy her a drink, hoping to get something in return. Tony was sure he was getting just as tired as Ziva was, having nearly everyone in the bar hitting on her. They'd both had their share of jealously over each other, but for Tony this was the hardest on him and he was hoping this undercover op wouldn't be a long lasting job.

By 3am Ziva had finally spotted her target relaxing right where she thought he would be, in the VIP lounge with half of the waitresses sitting around him, laughing at his jokes, having no idea what this man had done or was capable of. As she made her way towards him to start making an impression, Tony abruptly came over the intercom. "Ziva, get out here NOW."

* * *

_A/N: Things will begin to pick up in the next chapter so hang on tight! Please tell me what you thought of my writing and the story in general! Thank you for reading! ~Lynn D._


	3. Chapter 3

Ziva was only within feet of the Colonel when Tony shouted over the intercom for her to get back to the car. "Why? I am so close!" she tried to explain, with her instinct overriding her trust.

"Ziva please," he said softly, trying to snap her out of agent mode just long enough to get his point across, letting her hear the sound of his voice—letting her know this was, in fact, important. "Just come out to the car and I'll explain."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded softly to herself as she turned to head back into the break room, then out to the car where Tony was parked. "Okay, I'm coming."

As she stepped outside into the brisk, night, October air, she wrapped her arms around herself, mentally scolding herself for not thinking to bring in a jacket, knowing it was bound to get cold walking nearly a block to the car. While Ziva was lost in thought before she had started walking, she suddenly felt an arm around her shoulder.

Afraid the manager or one of the guys that had been watching her all night had followed her outside, she was worried her cover may have been blown, but was still about to strike when Tony grabbed her punch in mid-air, anticipating her move. "Whoa my ninja, it's just me."

Ziva blew out a relieved breath. "Tony, you should know better."

He just shrugged. "I came out to bring you my coat," he smiled caringly, knowing she would be freezing to death walking to the car.

"You did not have to—"

He quickly put a finger to her chilled lips, "—it's what partners do. Now, be quiet and get warm." He snickered, running a hand over her cheek, trying to warm up her face. Pulling off his coat, he put it around her shoulders then pulled his arm strongly around her waist, supporting her back as they walked—their footsteps in sync.

She would have protested, but after spending over four hours in such a place surrounded by scum bags, Ziva was exhausted and couldn't deny his strength holding her up and just plain care and humility felt wonderful. She always knew Tony was a good guy but after being reminded of men like those in the world, Ziva was extremely thankful for him being in her life.

Once they reached the car and got settled with the heat turned on full blast, she turned to Tony after resting her eyes for a few moments. "Alright, why did you pull me out when I was so close?"

"Gibbs and McGee have been working all through the night searching for anything that might give us a lead. Apparently McGee fell asleep on the job and when Gibbs caught—"

"—Tony please, I am tired," she said honestly, rubbing a hand roughly over her face then through her hair, trying to relieve a now pounding headache.

"Sorry," he said, getting back on track. "They found another similarity with the victims that'll aid the undercover job as well as a knowledge of what else to add into Blossom's life." Tony added with a twinkle in his eye.

Ziva wrinkled her brow, waiting for him to continue, now perking up with interest at this new discovery.

"They all had boyfriends hanging around the bar, inevitably making the Colonel jealous, I'm sure. Because what guy would want someone coddling them and making them feel special, then essentially betraying them by going to kiss their own boyfriend. The Colonel and any other guy," he paused for a moment with a hint of sadness on his eyes, "would be sure to feel sad and possibly heartbroken, depending on the girl, knowing that they were only bound to get synthetic love and would never really be wanted by someone. With what we know about the Colonel, he most likely turned that sadness into rage that turned into raping to show that he is a man and deserves love just like anyone else."

Taken aback by Tony's clear insight into the Colonel's thought process, Ziva was impressed. "Wow. So does this mean I'm getting a boyfriend?" she asked a bit later, letting everything they'd just learned sink in.

"Looks like it," Tony smiled.

"I wonder if it'll be Gibbs or McGee that get or even want the job," she sighed thoughtfully.

Tony's smile soon disappeared then he looked back to Ziva with a hurt expression. After watching Tony's reaction to her statement she giggled. "Unless of course you want to...take the job."

"Well I just thought it would be the logical choice," he finally spoke, not quite sure if she had been kidding or not.

Shaking her head tiredly but still with a twinkle in her eye, Ziva patted his arm in assurance. "I am only pulling your chain."

Tony shook his head as well, but with a smile on his face both for the facts he'd get to be her boyfriend, for awhile at least, and that he still had a lot more work to do on her English.

With only a couple hours left on her shift, they headed back to NCIS since the sun was due to come up in just over an hour and they had a whole new day of work to get to.

* * *

When the partners stepped off of the elevator, they saw McGee asleep, laying on his arms that were plopped over his desk and Gibbs sitting at his own desk, drinking his countless cup of coffee for the night and now almost morning.

He wrinkled his brow and cocked his head to the side when he saw the pair coming in two hours before they were supposed to. "What are you two doing back?"

Tony turned to look to Ziva who was already falling asleep on her desk. "You said the she needed to have a boyfriend to continue the op so I—"

"—so you should have just gone right in, DiNozzo. As my senior field agent I expect you to make on the spot decisions. Understood?"

Tony nodded his head seriously, always loving any time Gibbs referred to him as his senior field agent. "Understood."

As Tony sat down at his desk and started on some paperwork, not paying attention to his tiredness at the moment, a realization hit him. "So does this mean you want me to go in as Blossom's boyfriend?" he asked, once again unsure of himself.

"Already got Abby started on your alias. Wouldn't think of anyone else for the job. You and Ziva work too good with each other for us to not hold that to our advantage," Gibbs said to make a point.

Tony just smiled and turned back to his work.

A bit later, Ziva stirred from her nap and got up to go to the bathroom and freshen up, wanting to get some of the smoke off her skin. While Ziva was washing her arms and neck, Gibbs came into the otherwise empty bathroom and put a set of sweats on the counter near her hand. "Didn't think you'd want to stay in those things," he said knowingly, always thinking of others first.

"Thank you," she smiled, gladly accepting the clothes. When she started changing, Gibbs turned his back to her.

"How did things go tonight?"

"Well, I got within just a few feet of the Colonel when Tony pulled me out so I did not..."

"No, I mean how did things really go? Are you okay?"

"I am fine, Gibbs," she said as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head and pulled her hair out of the collar.

Gibbs turned back towards her while she started washing her face, "Ziva, it's me."

Shrugging her shoulders, she looked into his clear blue eyes. "I have been reminded that there are a lot of rotten people in the world. Not just like the common murderer we deal with almost every day, but just bad people. I have had plenty of experience with people such as these but I do not know… there is something about this op and the people involved in it that makes me feel a bit uneasy," she said honestly.

Gibbs nodded then pulled her in for a hug, trying to give his girl some comfort. "I know what you mean, I've had many cases like this and they never get any easier. Just remember that you can do this and know Tony will be in there with you. With a partnership like you two, not much can slip through the cracks. We've all got your back, Ziver."

Ziva nodded into his chest. "Thank you, Gibbs."

After holding her for a bit longer, he patted her on the back then led her back into the bullpen.

While Ziva was quietly putting her outfit on her desk and straightening up a few papers with a still tired expression on her face, Gibbs looked at his other two agents, now both asleep, and really noticed what the time was.

Knowing they all had gone above and beyond the call of duty for the day, he looked to Ziva and smiled. "Hey," he said, trying to get the other's attention. Ziva took interest into watching how long it would take the two to wake up and returned Gibbs' playful smile.

Waiting a few more moments, he stood back up. "Hey!" he shouted loudly enough to make all three of them jump as well as a few early birds already in the office. "Go. Get outta here. Get some rest. We're all going to need our rest because the party is just getting started."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you're ready to take the responsibility on of having me as a boyfriend? I can be pretty needy sometimes," Tony laughed as the partners sat in his car once again outside the bar, ready to start their second op as a couple. Ziva was in the same attire as last night and Tony was dressed in dark jeans and a warm, blue plaid flannel shirt, having refused the pink polo shirt.

"Tony, I have already handled having you as a husband so having you as a boyfriend should be easy," Ziva said simply.

Smiling, remembering their last, very steamy op, Tony bit his lip gently, eyeing his partner softly but then became serious as he realized they only had a few more minutes. "If and when we have to..." He paused, not knowing how to word what he was trying to say and ask.

Ziva read his mind as she had been thinking the same thing, knowing with the nature of this op, they'd almost definitely have to actually act like a typical couple, kissing and possible more, depending on the situation they were forced into.

What worried Tony was that this wasn't going to be like their last op under the covers where they were away from the people watching. In fact, they'd be right around the people interested in them and the last thing he'd ever want to do is hurt Ziva and all he could think was he might not have the choice.

After thinking for a few moments then searching his clear green eyes, Ziva let out a deep breath and smiled honestly. "I trust you. I have always trusted you. We just need to do what we need to do, just like we always have. This is no different," she stated even though they both knew it was.

"Ziva, this is your body we're talking about. I mean...trust isn't what I'm worried about," he said honestly, wanting this whole situation to disappear at this point.

Ziva shut her eyes for a moment, trying to compose herself then moved over and nearly sat on Tony's lap. A look of surprise on Tony's part soon dissipated into a humbled expression when she simply just gave him a hug, physically thanking him for his genuine worry. Pulling back, she spoke softly to him as she looked carefully into his eyes, keeping her arms around his neck as she leaned up against the steering wheel. "Tony, I expect you to do anything you have to, to make our relationship real. Whether it be kissing me…or sleeping with me," she finally said, saying what was deeply on both of their minds. "I have a feeling at some point to make the Colonel become especially interested in me we're going to have to have some kind of connection and you are the only one I can think of. You're going to have to become abusive at some point," she paused, holding tightly onto his neck, showing her partner she was scared too, but they were in this together. "I do not want you holding back on anything tonight or any other nights we are going to do this. As of right now, you are Michael James and you are Blossom's boyfriend. Do not think of me as Ziva, your partner—you can't, it will be too hard on us both. Think of me as Blossom, your girlfriend. As hard as it is, we have to be completely different people with completely different personalities."

Nodding, Tony hugged her tightly, never wanting to let go, then rubbed her back in support. "It's time for you—I mean Blossom to get to work. What's the code word for me to get in there and make the Colonel jealous?" He smiled, winking at her to relieve some of the pressure. Lightening the mood as had always been his specialty.

"I will just say I'm going to the ladies room to freshen up. I cannot imagine it will be too long until Michael makes his appearance. An hour at the most, so you can't fall asleep," she added, knowing her partner all too well. "Plus I need you awake if anything happens. With all of those men I am not sure..."

Taking her hand, Tony returned her worried glance then smiled. "I've got your back and I always will. Got it?"

Smiling, Ziva took a deep breath, "I know," then stepped out of the car, walking the short distance to the club and began her second night of what would soon turn into something they both had expected, but never wanted.

* * *

As Ziva walked into the now familiar club, she grabbed the champagne tray already waiting for her with a note instructing her to take it to the VIP lounge. Rolling her eyes at the fact that whoever poured the drinks couldn't take it themselves, she heaved the tray up then grunted to Tony, "I really hope this does not take long. I could use some company."

After smiling from her remark, he just spoke truthfully. "It's not going to be me, remember. The only company you'll be getting is from Michael."

"At least I know you, Tony," she said honestly. "The girls in here, including me," she added heartlessly, "don't know these men at all and are expected to do awful things with them. It is a terrible fact of life. I am just thankful that if I have to do anything," she paused hesitantly, then continued, knowing her partner deserved to know she trusted him, "it will be with you and if the Colonel tries anything, you will be right there," Ziva said, not being as afraid to express her true feelings anymore, realizing life was far too short for that."

"I promise I'll always be right there, Ziva," he said, never wanting her to forget that. "At least this particular job isn't going to someone who didn't sign up for it," Tony said, reminding them both of the night Mike died.

"You are right," Ziva sighed as she walked into the main club, smiling like nothing was wrong or would go wrong, at that. Thankful she was going straight to the spot the Colonel was last night, she fluffed her hair a bit, wanting the get the best reaction possible in the shortest amount of time she could.

"Here are your drinks," Ziva said with a huge smile, aiming to please, as she set the tray carefully on the table, leaning over a second more than needed for all the men in the booth to glance down her shirt.

She was about to turn to leave when she quickly caught the Colonel's eye and he immediately smiled to her. "What is your name, my dear?"

Turning back to face the man, she sat down next to him. "Blossom, and yours?" she asked with a fake curiosity gracing her enthusiastic eyes, seemingly interested in the man.

"I'm James. It's nice to meet you." He smiled widely, clearly interested in the exotic beauty before him. After only pausing a few moments, the Colonel gently took her hand which nearly made Ziva squirm, remembering what this eerily kind man had done to those innocent girls, but she remained calm and seemed pleasantly surprised at the gesture. "If you don't mind me saying so, you are a beautiful young woman. Very kind as well."

Blushing, she moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she said sweetly then suddenly looked intently into the man's brown eyes. "You know, no one has told me that in a long time. All of the other men here," she spoke, gaining a trust with him, "only want me for my body, never really noticing anything else...sometimes it gets a bit disheartening."

Taking a new interest in Ziva, James closed more of the small gap that was already present between the two and put his arm around her shoulder, effectively making a shiver run down Ziva's spine.

"That's a shame," he spoke softly into her hair, kissing her cheek softly. As Tony began to hear the Colonel's voice more clearly he realized he wasn't getting better reception on his end but the man opposite the intercom was, in turn, just getting closer to the mike that had been placed somewhere that would make even him blush.

He wanted terribly to ask Ziva how she was—if she was okay, but he knew he couldn't risk the Colonel hearing him and besides, Ziva hadn't used the distress word which they'd decided was "pink" based on Abby's near choice of Tony's apparel for the night.

Ever since he'd worked with Ziva, Tony had realized that even though they both had crazy work ethics, they meshed effortlessly and that was what made them one of the top partnerships at NCIS. It also created the problem of jealousy since they had been so close for so long, but with so many girlfriends and boyfriends that had come and gone over the years, the thought had both crossed their minds that they may just be looking too hard—maybe what they had been searching for all along was right in front of them.

Breaking him abruptly from his thoughts, he all of sudden heard the words he had been waiting for; Ziva had excused herself to the bathroom and that meant something had happened between her and the Colonel to make her think she had gained his trust and interest enough for him to become jealous.

Taking a deep breath, Tony quickly made sure that his gun was effectively concealed then jumped out of the car and quickly made his way inside the club, blending himself in with the other men so no one would notice his entrance.

Sitting down at the bar, Tony ordered a martini, not caring what Gibbs would think of him drinking right now. He needed to make a cover for himself and if anyone was looking at a man in a gentleman's club and noticed he wasn't drinking, something had to be up.

After taking a few sips, he spotted Ziva coming out of the bathroom and knew it was time for the show to start.

"Hey, Jasmine!" he called, knowing she would kill him later for her "real" name, as he made his way towards her. He quickly scooped her into his strong arms, kissing her neck as he lifted her—which made them both shiver.

"Michael," she said, looking very surprised and genuinely happy. "It is so good to see you," she smiled. "Where have you been?"

"Around," he said cryptically, shrugging his shoulders, clearly only wanting one thing as he pulled her for another hug, trying to heighten the Colonel's curiosity as he felt the man's eyes on them. "I'm here now though," he smiled, running a loving hand over her cheek.

As they pulled apart, they heard the manager's voice and realized he was standing just a few feet away from them, obviously having watched their whole exchange. "Cut it out, lovebirds. Blossom is on duty and I'm not paying her to have a cute little welcome home party right in the middle of my club and her shift, got it?"

As the little man began to walk away, Tony called back to him. "Can she combine her breaks and take them now?" he asked, keeping a hand on Ziva's waist.

Rolling his eyes, the manager nodded, knowing she wouldn't be getting any work done anyway with him on her mind.

"She's got thirty minutes and no more. Just try to keep it quiet," he added, making the two of them blush. Before he turned around, the man looked at both of them curiously but stayed quiet, obviously trying to see something—anything he could be missing.

With them both breaking out into a smile, she grabbed Tony's hand and began leading him into the room under the stairs. As they walked, both of their hearts began beating faster, not having anticipated they would be doing this tonight...not having prepared for it yet, emotionally or physically. Knowing that fact had to be on her mind as well, Tony squeezed her hand in support, knowing this wouldn't be easy for either of them. They wouldn't have been doing this if it wasn't for the manager's statement about keeping it quiet, but at this point they couldn't turn back; not realistically, at least.

Once they made it inside and shut the door, Tony flung his arms around Ziva's neck and began kissing her collarbone. As he ran his fingers through her hair, he began whispering softly enough that neither a bug nor microphone could pick it up, "Ziva, I'm sorry I didn't think he would..." Cutting himself off, he moved his lips to hers after briefly asking her if it was okay through their eyes. Seeing the consent shine through her deep, brown eyes, he pulled her in even closer, kissing her with so much passion Ziva had to wonder what part of this was fake, but not minding. Sometimes it felt good to be wanted and right now, that's the only way she could be thinking.

Pulling apart just enough to speak, she took his face in her hands to answer his previous statement. "Just do what you have to. Make it real," she whispered, realizing nothing was up to them anymore. They had to do what they had to do.

"Ziva," he said again, starting to get nervous—something he almost never felt. "I can't hurt you. I just..." He said again, going back on everything they had discussed in the car, all of this becoming intensely real, intensely fast.

Shaking her head slightly, she gently took one of his strong hands and placed it on her hip, telling him in her own way that it was okay. Taking a deep breath with faint tears forming in his eyes and head pounding indescribably hard, he captured her lips once again, pushing them onto the bed, taking the lead and embracing Michael's character, knowing that to keep both of them sane, they had to be different people at this point—pushing aside boundaries they, as partners, would never dream of crossing and not letting the thoughts of their real selves come into play. They both knew that tonight would inevitably change their lives, and feelings as partners forever.

* * *

_A/N: Well, what'd you guys think? I had a blast writing this chapter and I do believe it's my favorite so far! The next chapter will pick up right where it is left off here, unless, of course, my muse takes me somewhere else, but for now that's what I'm planning on. I hope you all enjoyed it and if you did, drop a comment in the box below to make me smile :) ~Lynn D._


	5. Chapter 5

Neither of them thought going through another op like this would be so hard. Years ago when they hardly knew each other, it was easy to pretend they were different people. Maybe it was because they were older and this kind of op wasn't as easy as it used to be, or they were breaking rule ten and were not only personally involved in a case, but also emotionally and physically. The strange thing for the pair was knowing the immense difference from then to now. Instead of "just doing their jobs" and feeling pleasure along the way, all they could feel was fear and confusion as to why and how everything had changed so much. It was like they were two different people now and even though they knew it, they didn't—or they just didn't want to believe it. Their minds were so muddled at the time they desperately needed them to be clear.

As they were kissing and caressing each other in a way either of them had only dreamed about, their eyes screamed with emotion but they both kept quiet, knowing that if they brought any of themselves into this, it would be too much to handle. So instead of relying on each other and their trust, they just relied on their jobs, going against all the instincts as partners that they had. They couldn't be the people they usually were, not even as partners.

After a few minutes of getting lost in each other, letting their alter egos take over, they almost didn't realize when the time came to take things to the next step but when they did, Ziva tensed right in the moment she couldn't without feeling the effects. Tony quickly stopped then leaned down to her, breathing heavily into her hair. "Relax."

Pulling their now bare and heated bodies flush against each other, gasping at the contact, making Ziva blush, Tony's muscles tightened—not being able to relax like he should. Looking intently into her soft yet fiery eyes, he ran a hand up her thigh and rested it on her side, trying desperately to prepare them. Letting her partner take over, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Tony's heart dropped as he lost all connection he had left with his partner, not Blossom. What hurt them both the most was not knowing who was watching—if anyone. Knowing he could be putting them both through this for no reason was something Tony would never forgive himself for.

For what felt like an eternity to both under the circumstances, they went to another place, thinking of anything else besides their current situation. After making their time together realistic, Tony pulled his weight off of his partner, trying not to look at her body, as hard as it was for him. He knew he couldn't do anything more to her—he had intruded enough and by the look on her face and what he felt in his heart, it wasn't just physically.

A few moments later, he rolled off of her, sliding out of bed and gathering their clothes from off the floor where they had carelessly been thrown away earlier in the night. While Ziva watched him, she snuggled more under the single white sheet, the comforter having been shoved off, pulling it up to her collarbone, trying to gain comfort from the warmth of the bed. Neither of them really knew how to process what had just happened so they opted to act as if nothing had happened, which in return, made them both very uneasy. Questions and comments were racing through each of their minds but those would have to be saved for another time and most definitely another place.

"Here you go," Tony said barely above a whisper, handing Ziva her clothes. To save them both even more embarrassment, they both slipped on their underwear. Ziva knew she had to get to back to work soon but right now that was the last thing she felt up to. As the adrenaline began to wear off and the pain began to set in, Ziva pulled her knees up to her chest as she snuggled into her pillow, desperately fighting any emotion away not only for the sake of Tony, but also for any suspicions that would be raised over any surveillance.

As she lay there with her head pounding and spinning in all different directions, she was a bit startled to feel the bed dip. Tony had cuddled up to Ziva as he put an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Smiling softly at his comforting touch, she rested her hand on his still bare chest as she put her forehead against his, letting his breath tickle her eyelashes. Sliding her hand gently to the back of his neck, she brought her mouth to his. "I'm sorry, I can't do this again."

Ziva hated to leave him without an explanation but she couldn't bear to lie there anymore. She had promised herself years before that never again would she let herself feel like this. Abruptly removing her hand from his warm chest and wriggling out of his strong embrace, Ziva quickly dressed and stepped into her boots. Sharing a confused yet caring glance with her partner, Ziva leaned in for one more kiss. Saying nothing more than they had jobs to do, she walked out of the door leaving Tony there to try and find his bearings again—trying to focus on one thing at time.

Making her way back toward Blossom's job, not before catching the manager's eye, she began cleaning booths and the bar of spare beer bottles and empty martini glasses. When she reached the kitchen and placed the glasses in the sink, Ziva placed her hands on the counter, letting her head drop over the top of it, doing her best to compose herself, but instead letting tears fall down her cheeks. In one night she had done things she could only dream of along with others she never wanted to dream of again. She didn't understand why this was so hard for her but every time she told herself it was just her job, she knew it wasn't. Something deep beneath the surface of their hearts was getting at them more than it ever had before—they felt something for each other that they never had.

"Hey," the manager shouted, making Ziva jump. Turning her face towards him, she quickly wiped her tears away.

"Yes?"

"The Colonel is asking for you." He smiled creepily, moving away from the doorway, making room for her. Nodding, she made her way towards her job once again, momentarily forgetting her emotions.

Putting on a bright smile, Ziva sat down by the Colonel who had a conflicted smile.

"Hello my dear," he said, putting an arm around her waist, pulling her close. At this point she didn't mind, she wouldn't let herself feel again tonight—falling back so easily into her old routine of not letting anyone get close.

"Hello there," she said with a flirtatious tone, placing her hand softly on his thigh.

"Was that your boyfriend I saw you with a little while ago?" The man asked curiously, wondering who he was up against.

"Yes," she smiled softly, clearly in love with the man she was just with.

"What's his name?" The Colonel pried.

"Michael," she answered graciously.

"You two seem to really be in love," the Colonel commented on what he'd seen of the two in just a few minutes.

"I know I am," she answered with more honesty then she had in a long time.

Once Blossom's shift was over, she left the Colonel with a sad expression on her face, promising to be back tomorrow. As she walked away, adding an extra sway in her hips for his benefit, the Colonel had a tingling of sadness in his heart. He actually liked this one.

* * *

The ride back to the Navy Yard was quiet; too quiet for their liking, but neither knew what to say. Once they reached their desks in the bullpen, Ziva dropped her gear then went right towards the showers, having repeated the same process after each night undercover.

McGee must have been down with Abby so it just left Tony and Gibbs in the bullpen. "How'd it go tonight?" Gibbs wondered with a hopeful tone.

Taking a moment to think on how to answer, Tony bit his lip then went over to stand in front of his Boss' desk. "If you are asking as to how holding our cover went, then everything went fine."

Wrinkling his brow, Gibbs stood and eyed his senior field agent curiously. "Tony," he said questioningly.

Letting out a sigh and feeling his shoulders sag, DiNozzo shook his head and his eyes welled. "It was awful," he finally admitted.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked softly, knowing then that something was wrong.

"Ziva and I...we had to hold our cover and..." After taking a moment, he shook his head. "I hurt her Boss and I don't know what to say. I don't even know if she's okay. I mean…I just don't know," he said as a tear ran down his face and his emotions were soon everywhere.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Gibbs moved out from behind his desk then stood directly in front of Tony. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, the older man finally spoke. "This isn't just about hurting her, is it?" he asked, knowing there had to be more to these conflicting emotions.

Finally shaking his head, Tony answered. "No, it's not. Even though it hurt me so much to hurt her, we both knew it had to be done but I think we both knew something was and is different. And the problem is I don't know what it is...something is different and it's scary that I can't figure all of this out," he said, revealing more to his boss than he had to anyone in a very long time. He was tired of holding his emotions in. Enough was enough and tonight was a breaking point.

"When people are undercover together," Gibbs finally said, "sometimes lines are blurred," he answered honestly, trying to give some clarification to his thoughts. "I think one thing you need to do," his boss said, stepping up and giving Tony the advice he so desperately needed to hear, "is talk with Ziva. You need to tell her how you're feeling. Communication is key not only in relationships, but also partnerships. It is what you two have always been so good with so stopping now could seriously affect your partnership and friendship." Pausing for a few moments to sit back down, Gibbs added one more thing. "She is bound to be feeling the same way as you so give her some space and some time before any serious conversation. For now, just let her know you are still supporting her."

Nodding faintly, Tony sat back down, trying to think of the best way to handle this. He didn't want to lose his best friend—he couldn't.

* * *

The next evening, the partners found themselves in Tony's Dodge Charger once again, preparing for yet another night in the club that now made them sick to their stomachs. They had hardly spoken since last night and they still hadn't a clue of what to say. Not being able to stand the silence anymore, Tony abruptly broke the deafening silence and took his partner's hand.

"Ziva," he spoke softly. "I can't take this anymore. I need to know if my Ninja is okay."

Her surprise softening into a smile, Ziva placed her eyes gently on his—searching his caring eyes. "I am...I am okay." She corrected herself before repeating her infamous lie of "I'm fine."

"Ziva..." he said, doubting her statement.

"Really," she said honestly. "I just have to learn to trust you, even in these situations."

She could tell from his searching expression that he needed to hear more affirmation of her well being but there was no time or emotion left for that right now. Knowing it was time to go, Ziva gently squeezed his hand then silently left to go to her job once again, never knowing what could happen. Once he saw her safely enter the club, Tony promised himself that tonight they would get to the bottom of this together.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Hello everyone! I do want to apologize for the delay in updating but I wanted to wait until after "Past, Present, and Future" aired simply for the fact I could write with an emotional drive. Thank you all for being patient with me and I hope you enjoy chapter six! ~Lynn D._

* * *

Tony stifled another yawn as he checked his watch yet again, hoping Ziva wouldn't be held at her "job" much longer. It was already 4 a.m. and he was getting tired of hearing every guy in the club hit on his partner and what was worse, hearing her flirt back.

Pulling his coat even tighter around him, he wished it wasn't the middle of winter and much less the middle of the night. Taking another sip of his coffee, and sitting even deeper into the driver's seat, he hoped it would take some of the edge off the chilled air. As he set his thermos back into the cup holder, he saw Ziva in the distance hobbling aimlessly in his general direction.

With worry flushing his features, he jumped out of the car and jogged towards her. As he neared her and the chill bit his breath, he couldn't believe the state she was in. With Ziva hardly acknowledging his presence, she continued walking like she was completely lost. Once he reached his partner, he put his hands firmly on her biceps, searching her eyes for any sign of that fiery spark he loved so much, stopping her aimless trek in the process. She soon felt the warmth of his hands and then his arms as they engulfed her, then guided her head to his chest.

While she gained warmth from him as she placed her head gently against his chest, he rubbed her back, trying to bring her back to reality. After letting her rest for a few moments, he pulled her back to gaze at her, wrinkling his brow in worry when she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "What happened?"

Moving her head back to his chest, she shook her head, letting tears fall onto his shirt. "I do not know any longer."

"What happened?" Tony repeated worriedly, not moving his arms; keeping a protective shield around her. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, barely above a whisper, dreading the worst.

Shaking her head, she placed her hand on his heart. "Just let me sit down, Tony."

Nodding, Tony respected her boundaries then placed a supportive arm around her waist as they headed back towards the car, clinging to each other for what felt like what would be dear-life.

Once they were in the vehicle and the heat was turned on to stop both of them from shivering, Tony finally looked back at Ziva. "What happened in there, Ziva. Please, tell me." he asked softly, with worry shining through his clear green eyes.

"It is not what happened in there. It is what has happened in the past. Too many things reminded me of the past in there and I could not take it anymore." she finally admitted, turning her head away from Tony, ashamed that she couldn't handle her own job.

Seeing the nearly scared look in her eyes, he dared to ask something he swore he never would. Pushing himself towards her, searching for a glimpse of her face, he put a hand softly yet firmly on her chin, trying to bring her eyes to meet his. "Zi, is all of this reminding you of Somalia?"

Being as protective of this subject for so long and bottling all of her emotions up, she couldn't hold it in any longer. With her shoulders sagging, she whispered softly, with raw emotion filling her voice, "yes," she replied honestly, letting more tears slip down her cheeks.

"What reminded you of it?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't break down and close up again.

Closing her eyes, she tried to compose herself. "Being in Somalia," she finally said. "It took away my freedom. The men did things that...that took away my rights as a woman, and as a human in general. So being in there with men that feel they have rights over us…that scares me."

While Tony listened, his heart broke for her—wishing he could have been there sooner to save her from the terrors of Somalia. _"Maybe if I hadn't waited so long, things would be different—she wouldn't __have suffered." _He thought, beating himself over her pain. "I'm always here for you," he finally said after finding the right words. "Aht lo levad, remember?"

Pausing for a few moments, Ziva contemplated voicing her thoughts.

Seeing the thoughtful expression on her face, Tony moved towards her slowly, gently taking her hand as not to scare her. "Hey, what is it?"

"Tony, I will always remember what you said at the airport," she answered. "Up until then, I felt completely alone; like I was completely lost and I had no idea which way was up anymore...almost like I was drowning. And you...you were that breath of fresh air for me. You pulled me up out of the water right before I drowned. You saved me. And there were so many times," she said with a bittersweet smile crossing her face, "in that week I stayed at your home that I wanted to be near you but I did not want to take comfort in you because I knew if I got even closer to you then...then I would hurt even more if you were ever gone from me," she said, now lifting her eyes to meet his. "I have now realized that I was wrong," Ziva said honestly, trying to find comfort in his eyes that were so filled with emotion they looked as if they would scream. "You are the best partner and best friend I have ever had and I have found that I cannot live without you either." Tony's expression turned soft as he realized she had actually heard what he said in Somalia—that she actually heard that he said what he meant for once. "Losing you would mean losing my life. So, when you told me I wasn't alone, I knew then that you were the one person I could absolutely trust with not only my life, but with my everything—my soul and my heart." Ziva said, pulling herself close to her partner, pressing their wet cheeks together.

Feeling his breath tickle her ear, Ziva smiled as he finally spoke quietly. "You will never, ever be alone when I'm around, Ziva. You're—you're my life," he whispered, grazing his lips faintly across her jaw, making her shiver. After staying like that for a few more moments, Tony finally met his lips to her jaw, pulling her into him as they stretched across the arm rest, the only thing now separating the two. Resting into his shoulder as he softly planted kisses on her cheek, she snuggled into him and let out a yawn, the hour beginning to get to her.

Yawning himself, Tony checked his watch. "Do you want to head back to NCIS?" he asked even though he didn't want to move from her.

Without even looking up at him, she just snuggled deeper into his chest, "I would rather just stay here, if that is okay with you." Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her waist then surprised her by letting go and going around the car to get into the backseat.

Putting his legs to stretch across the backseat, leaning in the crook of the seat and the door, he just shrugged at her confused expression. "What? You don't expect me to sleep hovering over do you?" Shaking her head at his beloved personality, she moved to the backseat as well, motioning for him to make room for her.

Pulling one of his legs up to rest against the seat and the other resting on the floor, Ziva fit right up against his chest. Before Ziva got comfortable, Tony took off his coat and draped it over her, ensuring she wouldn't be cold.

Right before they both fell asleep in each other's embrace, Tony moved his head down to meet Ziva's ear, "Comfy?"

"Always with you."


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, the bullpen was empty for after an entire week of working tirelessly on this case, Gibbs made an exception for his exhausted agents and made them go home. With it being Friday, they would be rested for the weekend which was the club's busiest time, as well as the most likely time frame for the Colonel to strike since it would be easy for him to slip away with his unsuspecting victim—in all other cases, of course. Being alert was now top priority and so much as Gibbs hated to admit it, sleep was needed for that.

Tony and Ziva were both relieved they had set alarms for before dinner the next evening because after such a stressful week, they were exhausted and would have slept right through the time Gibbs had set for them to be back to work.

After the partners had woken up the previous morning, they laughed together as they stayed in each other's arms, listening to their phones ringing off the hook. They knew Gibbs would get at them for breaking his rule of never being unreachable, but they wouldn't change a thing about last night for anything. Still ignoring their phones going off with missed calls and texts, not in the mood to explain why they were MIA, they relaxed in each other's arms for a bit longer—feeling the warm sun on their skin as it shone through the car's window.

The two held hands as Tony drove Ziva back to her apartment and once he had dropped her off with the promise to see her the next night, he smiled the rest of the way to his own apartment because he knew something had finally changed in them and their hearts. The fact that he didn't have to go on pretending that being "just partners" was enough for him gave him an even bigger outlook not only on the next couple of years, but quite possibly the rest of his life—and their life together.

* * *

Rolling out of bed to the sound of yet another alarm, Ziva trudged into the shower, giving herself the opportunity to have a fresh start on this op. After putting together a quick dinner for herself, she stuck it in her backpack then drove back to NCIS.

* * *

It wasn't until the elevator's doors almost opened when Ziva remembered that unless Tony had called, Gibbs still didn't know what was going on with his top two agents. Taking a deep breath, Ziva stepped off the elevator, looking to Tony's empty desk first and then to Gibbs', where he was currently sitting, momentarily immersed in following up a lead.

Dropping her gear carefully down on the side of her desk as she sat down, turning on her computer, she carefully looked over to her Boss. Turning her eyes back to her monitor after not getting a response, she bit her lip knowing he must really be mad.

Just minutes later, McGee took his place in the bullpen and, to Ziva's relief, Tony followed shortly. As her partner situated himself across from her, he looked to Gibbs who was still busying himself with the work in front of him, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around him.

Sharing a glance, they both wrinkled their brows from their boss' strange behavior. Shrugging their shoulders, Tony and Ziva began to occupy themselves with the work that had to be done before tonight.. After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, Gibbs looked to both Tony and Ziva briefly then returned his eyes to his work, "Nice of you two to join us—David, DiNozzo."

With their cheeks flushing, they both turned in their chairs to face their boss. "We uh..had a er…" they both stuttered, not having had enough time to think up a valid excuse for their absence."

"Save it," Gibbs cut in, not expecting to get a valid or truthful reason for their absence.

Not knowing what else to say and knowing how Gibbs felt about apologizes, they kept quiet along with their boss, figuring this was their "get out of jail free card," but they would have to be more careful next time so their personal lives wouldn't interfere with their jobs—not the other way around anymore.

* * *

Before heading out for the op that night, Gibbs stopped Ziva under the stairs on her way back from the bathroom. "Ziver," he said, trying to focus her attention on him for the time being. "Are you ready for tonight?"

"Yes," she spoke quickly. "Why?"

"The Colonel is known for sticking to a very tight schedule—by being a Colonel, that trait is in his blood. If our timeline is right, he will strike soon and possibly tonight."

Nodding, she smiled encouragingly, "I will be fine, Gibbs. Tony will have my back."

"I know that," he said, always one to have the utmost trust in his agents. "It's not DiNozzo I'm concerned about. I don't want you getting ahead of yourself and becoming overconfident. This guy is dangerous and isn't to be underestimated."

Letting her brave front slip away right before the man she now considered to be her father, she pinched the bridge of her nose, finally concentrating on what he was saying. "Two nights ago I questioned my judgment of what I could handle and what I couldn't. Tony…he talked me out of that and, at least for now, I can handle this because of what he said. Please, trust me on this."

Smiling at her determination and that her and DiNozzo had gained an even deeper of amount of trust in each other, he squeezed her pinky and whispered a few words of encouragement before walking back to the bullpen.

Ziva stood alone for a few moments, so thankful for the men that were in her life. Having that comfort was unexplainable, but also something she knew that she wouldn't give up for anything. They were the few people in her life that brought joy to her heart.

* * *

She couldn't believe how fast he was moving tonight. Ziva had only been on her shift for an hour now and for the past forty-five minutes the Colonel had been flirting shamelessly with her while resting his hand on her thigh, kissing her cheek whenever he so had the inclination. He talked to her about his job, previous relationships, and even his golden retriever, Lucy. With the freedom that he spoke with, Ziva knew there could only be two reasons for this. One being he really did trust her, or he knew soon she wouldn't be saying much of anything.

Though, as another half an hour turned into another hour and he still hadn't run out of things to say, much less trying to get her alone, she began to wonder what was holding him back.

Remembering Tony's previous comments on how the Colonel must have a jealous side—simply looking for someone for himself in the wrong place—and his jealous expression when Michael came into the picture, Ziva reluctantly decided their plan B was the only realistic plan left.

Kissing the man's cheek, she excused herself to the kitchen to make sure dishes weren't piling up, but with the promise to return momentarily.

Once she reached the kitchen and made sure there wasn't anyone around to even unintentionally eavesdrop, Ziva let out an audible sigh, seeing if Tony was awake or not.

"What is it, Ziva?" Tony commented with a tired tone but also with a hint of playfulness, knowing what she was doing.

"He isn't showing any signs of wanting hurt me," she said blatantly. "He may be creepy but something is holding him back."

"He must really like you," Tony commented facetiously. "I guess that means plan B is taking effect?"

"It is the only thing I think would make a difference in his demeanor."

Rubbing a hand down his face, Tony nodded to himself, "Okay."

* * *

Walking back the Colonel with a big smile on her face, Ziva resumed her previous position right next to him. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek yet again then lifted her hand to meet his lips. "I'm glad you weren't away for too long."

"Me too," she smiled, leaning against the booth to rest her back. "Thankfully the dishes were not piled up. I could tell you stories, that is for sure."

A smug expression crossed the Colonel's face. "We've got all night."

Cocking her head the side, she let a grin cross her face, "Very true. I remember a couple months back at my previous job, I was waiting tables and once I had the chance to take a break and went through the kitchen to sit down, I found that the designated dish-washer of the night had decided that going to her boyfriend's basketball game was more important and she did not even think to call in a replacement. I do not think I got off work until midnight that night."

After laughing over her misfortunes, the Colonel was about to ask why she was the one to stay over instead of someone else when Tony walked in, clearly supposed to be mildly drunk. Ziva's face flushed as she watched him walk around, shouting "Jasmine" at the top of his lungs.

Quickly excusing herself from the Colonel, Ziva elbowed through the weekend crowd, walking as quickly as she could towards him. Upon reaching him, she looked at him curiously. "What is it, Michael? You have to calm down."

"I've been trying to call you for the past hour. Why is your phone off?"

"I am at work. The manager does not like interruptions nor does he think it is polite to his paying customers and I would have to agree."

"What are you saying? That I'm an interruption now?" Michael shot back.

Ziva let out a deep breath. "I never said that. The phone ringing would be an interruption, but not you."

"Who's more important? Me or the guys around here who don't have a life?"

"Michael!" she exclaimed, "shhhh!"

"Hey," he said, putting his hands up in defense. "I just want the truth—to see where I stand because I honestly don't know anymore."

Her features immediately softened as she placed a hand on his cheek, directing his gaze to meet hers. "You know I love you." She smiled, leaning in for a kiss while he wrapped his arms firmly around her waist.

"Working here is something I have to do," she tried to explain softly.

Nodding, Michael pulled her in closer, kissing her forehead, giving them both flashbacks to when they were protecting Gibbs. "I'm sorry I overreacted."

Standing on her tiptoes, she nuzzled his ear, "It is okay."

After spending a few more moments in each other's embrace, Tony's phone rang. Ziva's eyes quickly flashed to Tony, silently scolding him for not remembering to turn his phone off, but a second later, she reverted back into character. "Who would be calling you at this hour?"

"It's nothing. I mean—no one important," Michael said cryptically, not even pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

Ziva swiftly moved her hand to pull the phone out for him, discreetly patting his butt in the process. She smirked as Tony gasped quietly then quickly resumed Michael's worried face, eyeing her briefly.

Checking the phone, she saw that it was McGee and figured she may as well answer it—make things more interesting. "Who is this?" Ziva asked suspiciously, nearly laughing at McGee's embarrassed tone as he began to say it must have been the wrong number. Taking the phone call to her advantage, she continued, "Jolie? What are you wearing? Pink fluffy slippers too?"

At the sound of Ziva's voice and the code work "pink," McGee caught Gibbs' eyes and they knew something could be up.

Clearing his throat, McGee decided to take a chance. "Is everything okay?"

"What do you mean who is this? I happen to be Michael's girlfriend and there is not a thing that could bring me down from that thank you very much," Ziva said confidently.

Before she hung up, a look of shock crossed her face then she shook her head, letting her whole demeanor change. "I'm so sorry," she said apologetically. "I wish you the best of luck."

After hanging up the phone, having let McGee know they were okay in the process, Ziva looked to Michael. "How could you do this to me?"

"What about her? Jolie? She's nothing—just someone I work with," he said, trying to make excuses for himself.

"Oh so getting a co-worker pregnant is nothing?" she said, shaking her head as her eyes began to well up.

He tried to take her hand but she pulled it away, taking a step back from the man she thought she knew.

"Don't walk away from me, Jasmine. You can't."

"What do you mean I can't?" Ziva said, raising her voice as she turned around.

Michael quickly grabbed her arm tightly, turning her back towards him. "Where do you think you're going?" he spat with fire burning in his eyes.

"I thought I knew you, but this crossed the line," she cried, tears now streaming down her face. "I am done, Michael,"

Tony's heart so badly having to yell at the woman he loved, but with having quite a few people's attention by now, including the Colonel's, he had to keep going. "I don't think so."

"Yes. I do think so," she shot back. "How do you make love to me knowing that you have already made someone else pregnant? I cannot forgive you for that."

As they argued, Tony continued walking towards his partner, forcing her to continue walking backwards until the wall stopped her from moving any further.

When Ziva realized what he had done, Tony took Ziva's face in his, showing her he had to do something to continue his character. Her eyes shone to his as she carefully mouthed "I trust you." She soon felt all of his weight come crashing down against her, pinning her whole body against the wall. Even though she was struggling to breathe, they both knew this had to be done.

"We can fix this," Michael spoke softly as he claimed her lips roughly, despite her hitting his chest, struggling to break free from his strong grasp.

"There is nothing left to fix," Ziva said, looking to him clearly.

Putting his hands around her waist, he looked at her firmly. "Yes there is, there's us."

"Let me go, Michael. I'm done," she said, still trying to free herself.

"Come on, at least one more night," he begged, kissing her neck.

"No," she shouted. "Get off of me!"

Suddenly, his weight was lifted off of her body not only the Colonel, but a couple other men that were still sober enough to do something about it.

Michael didn't have enough time to say anything before he was promptly thrown out of the club but Tony's eyes briefly met his partner's—filled with worry and care, near to tears not only for everything he had to put her through, but for what was bound to happen next.

Once Michael was out of the picture, Ziva hardly had time to process the emotions they were both going through before the Colonel took her hand and led her into the private room. "There, that's better," the man smiled, sitting Ziva down on the bed. "A lot less drama in here, huh?" he asked with a forced smile.

"Yes," Ziva sighed, seemingly relieved.

Handing her a glass of wine from the in-room bar, he took a seat next to her. After she took a small sip, knowing she had to be as alert as possible, she looked at the Colonel curiously. "What is it?"

Taking her hand, he searched her eyes. "You loved him."

Shrugging, she shook her head. "I guess I'll never know," Ziva responded out of instinct, not being able to get the image of Tony lying on the cold ground beneath her with her gun barrel pressed to his chest.

"I can be here for you," the Colonel spoke softly, leaning in for a kiss.

Putting her hand to his chest, she tried to push him away but he just pushed harder, forcefully pulling her whole body onto the bed.

Knowing that this was it, Ziva had to do everything in her ability to get away but his strong grasp was holding her back. She was about to comment on how pink the man's cheeks were to alert Tony as to what was happening when there was a knock at the door.

Ziva was relieved when the Colonel got off of her but confused when he answered the door. To her horror, Chuck, the manager stepped in, dragging a beaten and drugged Tony along with him, holding him gruffly by the collar. Looking to Ziva, the short man smiled devilishly, "We knew your partner wouldn't want to miss this."


	8. Chapter 8

Right when Tony was kicked out of the club, he began walking in the opposite direction of his car, just to be sure that he wouldn't gain any unwanted attention to where he had been staking out for the past week. After walking for a few blocks, he took the next left and circled back, knowing whatever was going to happen with the colonel was bound to happen soon and he needed to be there for his partner if she needed him.

Once he reached the car, he saw the manager in the distance walking towards him.

"Oh no," he muttered under his breath, knowing this couldn't be good.

After bending over as if he had dropped something, Tony began walking once again, hoping his cover hadn't been blown. He was about to let out a sigh of relief once he had made it a few blocks without the manager confronting him, when suddenly he was hit over the back of the head and all he could feel was the cold, hard ground smashing into him before the darkness enveloped him.

When he finally came to, Tony's head was throbbing uncontrollably and when he tried to move, all of his muscles ached and he felt a strong hand pushing him back against the cement. Clinching his teeth, he struggled to open his eyes and determine where he was.

Once he was able to force his eyes open, his vision was so blurry that he could only make out a stocky figure standing in front of him. "Nice of you to wake up, Agent DiNozzo," the figure chuckled eerily.

Tony's breath hitched as he struggled to free himself from the invisible tether holding him back—struggling to find Ziva, knowing that by now they were both in fatal danger.

With Gibbs and McGee thinking everything was okay, the partners were each other's only hope left.

"What do you want with me?" Tony asked breathlessly, still trying to gain his bearings. All he could make out was a dark alley surrounding him and all he could feel was the ground underneath him.

"I think the better question is, what do you want to do with my club?"

After trying once more to stand and just falling harder onto his back, Tony knew his attempts were futile. "Wh—what did you give me?" the agent asked painfully, ignoring the man's question.

"Just a little chemical restraint. Nothing that won't wear off in a couple of hours."

"Whe—where is Ziva?" Tony stammered, needing to know she was okay. Needing to hold her.

"Agent David is very comfortable, I'm sure."

Tony's breathing quickened as he tried desperately to clear his vision. He had to find her. He had to save his partner.

Before he knew it, everything suddenly felt empty inside of him. Tony began losing his stamina and energy so quickly everything became a blur. Resting his head back against the cement, he gazed up at the stars, only being able to pray that she was okay. As he felt a tear slip down his cheek, the night breeze chilled his face while the chemical restraint really began to take effect. Drifting off into unconsciousness once again, Ziva's smile was the only thing on his muddled mind—her being his only clarity in the darkness of the night.

* * *

The next thing Tony knew, he was being dragged into a dreadfully familiar room. With his muscles aching with unbearable pain, he could barely even hold his own weight. When he brushed his cheek against his shoulder, he flinched, realizing that he had been beaten when it felt like he had rubbed against an open wound.

He could hear that Chuck was speaking, but he couldn't make out anything except for the very last part: "miss this."

_"Miss what?"_ he thought.

As the manager pulled him around the corner, his heart stopped when he saw Ziva lying on the room's bed, looking up at him with a fear laced deeply in her eyes.

It was in that instant that Tony realized what the manager had meant when he said "miss this" and adrenaline suddenly pulsed through his veins, enabling him to free himself from the man's grasp, pushing him onto the floor, and making it halfway to his partner before the Colonel rushed from behind the bar to Tony, grabbing him roughly by the shoulders.

After that second of adrenaline, he was completely drained of any energy he may have conserved. He fell away from the Colonel's grasp and helplessly onto the floor, right in front of a shocked and worried Ziva. When she began to move towards him to make sure he was okay, James just shook his head, pushing her back down roughly by her wrists. "You move or don't cooperate one more time and he dies."

With a tears streaming down her face, she complied, keeping a solid gaze on her partner as the manager sat her partner on the floor near the bed, leaning him up against the wall.

* * *

After what could have been hours or just minutes later, Tony was once again awoken from his unconscious state. As everything came into focus, more so than last time, his head bolted upwards when a muffled scream came piercing through the dark room.

He could barely see over the top of the bed from where he sat and he soon realized that he couldn't move with his hands and feet now tied. His eyes soon fell across Ziva—face red and sweaty. He could just make out the top of her face when he realized the full picture—the Colonel was on top of Ziva doing something he could have never imagined would be happening. Not to Ziva, not to anyone, and much less when he was there, not being able to do anything about it.

His heart began pounding rapidly as he struggled to free his hands, his feet, anything. His whole demeanor began to change. It went from muddled and barely moving, to alert and desperate—an unexplainable hate and terror rushing over him.

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice called from across the room as he continued to struggle to free himself.

"Let us go!" he shouted angrily, trying to catch his partner's eyes with his, but she was avoiding his gaze—too ashamed to look at him.

Chuckling, the manager just shrugged his shoulders and made his way to Ziva, wiping strands of hair away from her face as the Colonel continued to assault her, making Tony even more irate.

"Stop!" Tony shouted again, repeating it at the top of his lungs until he couldn't breathe.

Ignoring his cries, the man just smirked. "Don't think anyone is going to come see what's wrong. With the music even louder than normal tonight, no one will hear your screams."

That just made him yell even louder, pouring all of his energy into his pleas for help from anyone—anyone who cared.

After a few more moments of fruitless shouting, Tony was exhausted. His whole body felt like lead and his eyelids were beginning to become heavy, but he fought against it—needing to be awake not only for himself, but for her. She needed him to be her refuge.

For a while, he was able to hold her gaze, both of them trying to ignore everything but each other. Tony had to lean his head against the wall for he was drifting fast, but the last thing he would let himself do was fall asleep on her.

* * *

As time went by, he drifted in and out of consciousness but before he knew it, another voice broke the darkness. Looking up, he saw that the Colonel was gone but Ziva was curled up in a sheet, trying to stay warm but after seeing her shiver, he noticed the room's heat had been turned off. He was dressed for this kind of weather but Ziva had been stripped of everything and just had the single, thin white sheet to keep her warm.

"You should begin to have most of your feeling back in your body by now, Agent DiNozzo." Chuck smiled, coming over to him after pouring himself some bourbon.

Tony could hardly hear what the man he was saying as he carefully listened to Ziva's nearly inaudible soft cries. All he wanted to do in that moment was wrap her up in his arms and take all of her pain for her. He would do anything to get her out.

His heart couldn't take any more of this. Not only had his partner been assaulted, but the woman he loved had been taken advantage of and not being able to do anything about it made something in him snap—a need for vengeance that he'd never felt at this level before.

He needed to get over to his partner but with both men carrying guns, he knew he wouldn't even get a foot closer to her without one, if not both of them, being killed. He had to push his feelings aside and focus on being an agent and getting them both out of there.

As he rolled his shoulders to stretch out his neck, trying to not only wake himself up, but also to feel it again, the Colonel went over to Ziva and smiled, looking to Tony from across the room. "It's your turn."

At those words, Tony's eyes shot straight to Ziva. She suddenly looked different—the Ziva he knew was gone and he couldn't do anything about it. He thought she would jump into motion at those words but she stayed still, almost like she didn't know what to do. Maybe she had been drugged too, he thought. Something was off and whatever it was needed to be turned back on soon, for he could not under any circumstances, do what was being asked of him.

He barely even had time to blink before the Colonel was pulling him up by his collar and forcing him on top of Ziva, laughing heartily. "How badly do you want to keep you and your partner's lives in tact?"


	9. Chapter 9

Tony did his best to hold himself up so he wouldn't smother her, but with the chemical restraint still lagging his body down, he found it difficult not to. As they met their eyes for the first time as primarily agents that evening, Tony finally began to see the spark growing back into Ziva's eyes. He didn't know if it was because of the impending danger, or if his presence had woken her from the strange trance she was in, but none of that mattered as her beloved personality began to slowly but surely shine through once again.

With the Colonel pouring himself yet another drink from the bar and the manager standing guard at the door, not risking the agents escaping if they tried anything, Ziva lifted her thin, cold fingertips to Tony's jawline, sending a shiver down his spine. Closing his eyes at the contact, Tony let a smile ghost his lips, trying to calm his partner's nerves, feeling her heart beating rapidly beneath him.

The two spent the next few minutes touching and exploring each other's bodies, using every second of the time trying to think of a way out of there and to safety—a task that normally would be a procedure done with ease, but their captors proved to be different from all the others. They portrayed a sense of danger and terror that the pair hadn't felt since their summer in Somalia a few years back.

While Tony moved his warm hands gently across Ziva's collarbone and shoulders, then down her arms in attempts to keep her chill down, the two other men began getting agitated and were about to say something to Tony about getting to the inevitable when the manager's phone rang. He was about to push "decline" on the phone but apparently it was important enough to answer when he picked it up. As the manager answered the call and paced the room while he spoke quietly, Tony snuggled deeper into Ziva, not only keeping her warm in the freezing room, but also giving her the comfort she so desperately needed.

As he feathered his fingers lightly down her bare side, he leaned down to her ear. "Hold on," he whispered quietly. Wrinkling her brow, she looked at him questioningly but did as he said, wrapping her arms underneath his to hold tightly onto his shoulders. Putting a firm hand around her back, pulling the sheet flush to her back along with it, he swiftly pulled her off the bed, putting his other hand to her head, pushing it down to cradle in his neck as bullets began to fly through the window that was above the bed.

Before Ziva knew what was happening, Tony was running them swiftly out the door and through the club, elbowing past shocked partiers. After making his way out the other side of the club then into the brisk air, Ziva was holding on for dear life, still trying to process the bullets flying rapidly through the room right as they left. Once Tony reached the car, he put Ziva down, pulling the sheet tighter around her.

Quickly taking off his winter jacket, he helped Ziva into it as he took her hand, leading her to the backseat of the car. After helping her inside and turning on the heat, Tony smiled weakly to her. "I'll be right back. Stay warm." Confused as to what the hell was going on, Ziva began to call out his name but he had already shut the door and had jogged halfway down the block.

As Tony ran towards a group of cars and agents already beginning to swarm around and inside the club, he scouted out two agents in particular who were putting rifles back into the trunk of their car. "Boss!" Tony called breathlessly as he reached Gibbs and McGee.

Gibbs quickly closed the distance between him and his senior field agent, holding out his arms for Tony to fall into for the younger agent's adrenaline rush was fading fast. Helping him to the hood of the car to sit down, Gibbs placed a solid hand on the agent's shoulder, looking to him with his famous steely, yet concerned glare. "Are you okay? Where's Ziva?"

Inhaling a deep breath of crisp, clean air, Tony nodded slowly. "I think so and Ziva is in the car. She…she was raped boss." He said, tears forming in his eyes, hating to admit that it had happened—that he couldn't have been there for her when she needed him the most. He wasn't able to do his only job—to keep her safe.

The team leader's face soon dropped, not knowing what to say or how to react. This was his little girl. God knows what she had already been through during her years of Mossad and then Somalia, and now this? How much more would she have to take?

After taking a moment to process this, McGee was the first to speak up from standing next to Gibbs. "I'll go get her some water. See if she wants any company. This could be a long night." Nodding to his agent, Gibbs moved out of his path then sat on the hood next to Tony.

After giving them both some time to think, Gibbs finally broke the silence. "What happened in there?"

Shaking his head, Tony just stared at the ground. "I don't know. One minute everything is right on track and then the next I'm in the room watching him…" Pausing, he shook his head again and got off the car, pacing back and forth in front of his concerned boss. "I couldn't do anything. They made me watch. I was given some kind of chemical restraint so I couldn't move. That's why I'm so drained," he realized, sitting back down on the hood before he passed out again.

Nodding his head faintly, Gibbs quietly observed the other agents that were interviewing everyone that had been in the club out in the night air, trying to find out if anyone knew anything about the manager or the Colonel or why they had become a team.

"How did you know to come?" Tony asked a few minutes later.

"McGee said he didn't think Ziva would have used the code word at all if she didn't think anything would have gone wrong. It was a precaution." He said flatly, with shock still lacing each of their voices.

"We pulled around the other side of the club from where you had parked and when McGee and I were walking around to the opposite side, casing the few windows, we saw where and how you were being held. The rest I'm sure you have figured out by now," Gibbs explained, speaking more in just a few moments than he normally did in a week.

Nodding, Tony smiled half-heartedly. "It's a good thing you're a sniper, boss."

Breaking them up from their conversation, a few probationary agents needed signatures from the two as well as their experienced advice on how a few of the partiers were acting—whether they seemed suspicious or just nervous.

* * *

On the way back to NCIS, the car ride was fairly silent except for a few attempts on Tony's part to try and make Ziva smile despite the dark night she had just gone through. Gibbs let DiNozzo take her back to base a bit before the others so she could get checked out by Ducky, who had already come in once he learned what had happened, without others badgering her about the details of her assault.

With it being still so early, it wasn't hard to get to autopsy without being seen—neither of the two wanting to encounter anyone besides their immediate team members for a while. McGee had been thoughtful enough to provide Ziva with a set of NCIS sweats while they were still outside of the club so she wouldn't have to continue walking around in a sheet, and so no one would see her as a victim—the last thing she had ever wanted.

After walking his partner down to Ducky's habitat, Tony stopped in front of the sliding doors, being sure to give her the space she needed. "Do you want me to come in with you?"

Braving a smile, she patted his hand that had already claimed her other. "I need to do this alone, Tony. I will be up in a while."

Nodding, he kissed her cheek lightly, finally realizing how truly lucky he was that she was still alive and in his life.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you all have liked the last few chapters! I am planning on two more chapters for this fic, maybe three if a lot of inspiration hits me, but plan on two for now. Please tell me what you have thought of this fic and the way it's going, I always love reading reviews! Thank you! ~Lynn D._


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: First of all, I want to thank you all for being patient with me in getting this final chapter up. It took quite a long time to get this just right so I hope it's what everyone was hoping for. Overall, "Blurred" is definitely my favorite multi-chaptered fic that I've written and I'm pretty sure that comes across in my writing. Thank you all for sticking this through to the end! ~Lynn D._

* * *

Right when Tony reached his desk after dropping Ziva off and settled into his seat, Gibbs stood up and walked in front of his agent's desk. "DiNozzo, you've gotta get checked out too. Not just Ziva."

"Boss—"

"No but's. Go see Ducky."

Knowing he wouldn't get anywhere arguing with his boss, Tony nodded. "I'll go down later. I want to give Ziva… the space she needs right now."

Nodding faintly, Gibbs rubbed his neck then became serious. "Is she okay?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Tony took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves—telling himself the worst might be over in terms of physical danger, but right now, they were going full force into the emotional realm of things. "I really don't know. She is being brave just like she always is," he added, smiling softly—admiring his partner more and more every day. "I just worry that if she doesn't let it all out…she'll eventually break."

"Then get it out of her system, DiNozzo."

"Are you telling me to…" Tony trailed off, not wanting to get the wrong idea then embarrass himself for letting his thoughts wander past rule twelve.

"I'm telling you to do what you think is best. You know her better than anyone."

Before Tony had the chance to let his Boss' last statement sink in, Gibbs sat back down at his own desk. After a few moments of silence, Gibbs wrinkled his brow and asked the question that had been on his mind for hours. "How'd you know we were out there?"

Thinking for a moment, Tony finally smiled. "Gut instinct, I guess. Learned it from the best," he said honestly.

"And," Gibbs prompted his agent, knowing that couldn't be the only thing that made him risk his and Ziva's lives.

"I knew we had to get of there and when the phone rang I knew it was going to be my last chance before…" pausing, he changed his wording. "I had to save Ziva and there was no way I was going to spend another second in that room."

"Hell of a lucky break for the phone to ring," Gibbs said, relieved something had given his agents the opportunity to save their lives.

Wrinkling his brow, Tony sat forward, looking intently at his boss. "You mean you didn't…?"

Gibbs just shook his head, as stunned as his senior field agent.

"Wow," Tony said softly, mentally thanking whoever was responsible for calling the manager.

Leaning back in his chair, Tony shut his eyes and for the first time that night, he was able to rest peacefully, knowing that they were all safe. With Ziva being under so much stress from the op, Tony took on the stress as well—having felt each other's pain and worry for as long as he could remember.

* * *

Minutes or maybe even hours later, Tony was abruptly awoken by someone's phone ringing. Through sleepy eyes, he looked over to Gibbs' desk where he was speaking intently with someone on the other end. Blinking harshly to try and wake himself up, Tony sat up and ran his hands roughly over his face. Checking his computer's clock, he was curious as to who would be calling at 6:15 in the morning.

A few moments later, Gibbs hung up with a relieved expression on his face as he looked over to his concerned agent. "They've been processed and put away," he said coldly, never going to forgive them for what they'd done.

"When's the trial?" Tony asked curiously, a weight beginning to lift off of his shoulders.

"Couple of months. They've been put into their lifelong home, that's for sure."

"Was metro able to connect any other murders to these two?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure there are others by the way they were acting."

"Did you send either to the hospital?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Nah. Just shot enough to get their attention. I figured they would go through enough pain in jail after everyone finds out what they've done."

Nodding, Tony smiled to himself, knowing eventually they would get what they deserved.

It didn't take long for his eyes to wander over to Ziva's still empty desk and Tony began to let worry take over him again. "Boss, has Ziva left already?"

"I haven't seen her since you left to take her here."

"Maybe she's still with Ducky," Tony mused, already heading down to autopsy.

* * *

"Ducky," he called quietly, just in case someone had crashed after the long night.

"I'm in here, Anthony," the medical examiner called, coming back inside autopsy from the hallway.

"Where's Ziva?" Tony asked worriedly, not seeing her or any signs of her anywhere.

"Isn't she upstairs?" the older man asked with worry lacing his tone.

"No, that's why I came down here. When did you see her last?"

"After I examined her and gave her some medication, she seemed fine and said she was going upstairs."

Before running off to look for her, Tony walked towards Ducky with concern spreading across her face. "Is she going to be okay?"

Setting the chart down that was in his hands, Ducky let out a sigh. "For any woman to go through something like that is extremely terrifying, painful, and belittling. It's a man's way of showing that women are theirs—that they are the ones in charge. In Ziva's case, and what she has been through before," he said carefully, not wanting to get into any detail. "It was harder on her. She is strong and will get through this but she's going to need someone by her side this time."

Nodding, Tony quickly thanked the medical examiner then began searching any and every spot he thought Ziva would go to hide—trying to get into her head for that one moment and think like her.

After checking under the stairs, in the elevator, the women's bathroom, and back at her desk, Tony was at a loss as to where to look next.

Feeling worried that she had wandered off the Navy Yard, Tony began looking more desperately, needing to know she was okay. He knew he was probably overreacting but with Ziva, no one could know what she would do next.

Without going to the extremity of searching the roof, he only had one more idea. Heading back downstairs to the emergency showers, he quietly opened the door and walked inside, looking around the sinks first he turned the corner to the row of showers.

As he turned the corner, he immediately walked to the only shower that was in use. "Ziva," he called worriedly. "It's me. Is that you? Are you okay?"

After a few long seconds, she finally spoke with a cracking voice. "I am fine. I just need some time."

"Zi, come on. Talk to me. Don't shut me out."

A few moments later, he heard the water shut off.

Walking over to her locker, Tony grabbed her favorite forest green plush towel then went over to her stall, holding it out for her.

"It's fine, Ziva. I'm not looking," Tony said, turning his head.

As she walked out of the shower, she just shrugged her wet shoulders, stepping into Tony's chest so he could wrap the towel around her. "Does not matter. You've already seen everything," she spoke sadly—not with anger towards him, but with the events of the night.

Wrapping her up in the towel and then into his warm his arms, Tony snuggled into her neck as he remembered just how close they both had been to death.

Pulling back a few moments later, he tried to look into her eyes but she avoided his gaze, not feeling worthy of his care after what she'd just been through—feeling as if it was her fault since this had happened more than once.

"It's not your fault, Ziva." Tony spoke quietly, reading her emotions.

"But it is," she cried. "I intentionally made a target of myself, yes, but I should have been able to stop him since I knew it was coming. What happens when I'm not prepared?"

"None of us are perfect warriors, even if we want to be. You're the kick-ass ninja that I've always loved and always will and if it was anyone's fault, it was mine. I was right there and I should have stopped him," he spoke truthfully, already feeling his heart beating in his throat.

He had only seen her so broken once before and he had promised himself, and her, over that one summer that he would never let it happen again. The knowledge that he had failed her had been haunting him ever since he was drugged and put in that room, but now seeing her like this crushed his heart—knowing he couldn't do anything to change what had happened.

"It's not your fault, Tony," she said softly, still clinging to him, resting her head on his broad chest.

Not wanting to continue the subject any longer, he just held her tighter. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Sniffling, she pulled herself up onto her tiptoes and whispered into his ear, "You make me okay, Tony. Thank you for being you," Ziva said, never wanting him to forget what he meant to her.

Letting out a deep breath, trying to hold it together for her, he carefully sat them on the floor.

As he sat her down to his left, he took her hand softly and right as she felt his touch, Ziva molded herself against him as he settled next to her—him being the only person that could give her the comfort she needed and the only person that knew what to do in that moment.

In attempts to make her more comfortable, Tony wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and rested his right hand in her lap, burying his face in her hair as he whispered words of encouragement, trying to calm her down.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes in peace for the first time that night as she felt the comforting weight of his head resting on top of hers.

After countless minutes went by of just resting against each other, Tony was the first to move, tentatively running his fingertips carefully up her arm, leading up to her face. As he reached her cheek, he felt tears still streaming down her face right as his hand reached her face.

While he pressed his palm to her cheek and into her hair, he turned her face to meet his own eyes with her red, puffy, and pained eyes.

As he searched them worriedly—trying to find that spark in them yet again, he felt tears pricking at his own eyes, feeling the weight of the past week all come crashing down as he looked at the woman that had been his partner for nearly nine years, sitting right in front of him, completely depending on him to get her through this for, right now, she didn't have the strength to do it on her own.

Seeing the pain in his own eyes, she searched his face for the first time, really noticing his own bruises and cuts.

With shaking hands, she carefully brought them to his cheeks, trying to wipe away the blood staining his face, tears coming down even harder—crying for her partner and crying for what they'd both been through.

"Oh Ziva," he whispered sadly, still feeling her hands on his face. "What can I do?"

After a few moments of silence, she just shook her head softly then smiled bravely. "Just hold me, Tony."

Pulling her tighter, he did all in his might to make her feel safe and to make her feel loved—trying to take all of her pain.

Right in that moment, they were one person, sharing the same emotions and conflicts that had set in their eyes and in their hearts. In the beginning, they started off as two different people with completely different lives, but as time went on, their lives began to mold into one without either of them noticing. But tonight, they realized they truly could not live without each other for they were too much a part of the other. They were a beautiful mixture of the American dream and the crazy Israeli chick with impulse issues that had inevitably blurred into one everlasting soul.

**_The End_**


End file.
